Red Sox Overcome Dodgers in World Series Game 2

After carrying a one-run lead into the fifth inning, the Dodgers eventually lost 4-2 in Game 2 of the 2018 World Series on Wednesday night against the Red Sox. Los Angeles has dropped the first two games of this series in Boston and find themselves in a 2-0 deficit with the series set shifting to Los Angeles.

The Red Sox went with lefty David Price as their starter, who was coming off six shutout innings of work against the Houston Astros in the series-clinching game five of the ALCS.

The Dodgers opted to go with lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu as their starting pitcher. He had most recently given up five earned runs in three innings and been charged with the loss in game six of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Red Sox batting order one through seven was exactly the same as it was in game one, except Jackie Bradley, Jr. was moved up from the ninth spot to eighth for game two.

Cora had previously hit catcher Sandy Leon eighth in game one, and while Leon went 2-for-4, Bradley, Jr. was hitless in four at-bats hitting ninth.

The Red Sox got on the board first in the bottom of the second. Xander Bogaerts doubled to center with one out. Rafael Devers struck out the next AB, but Ian Kinsler was able to bring Bogaerts home on a single to left to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead.

The Dodgers started to get their offense going in the fourth after not getting a hit in the first three innings. David Freese led off the top of the fourth with a single to right field.

Manny Machado came up next and singled to center, moving Freese to second. Chris Taylor followed that up by drawing a walk, loading the bases.

Kemp tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center. Kike Hernandez struck out, but then Puig singled to center with two outs to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.

Ryu got into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. He was able to get the first two outs of the inning, but couldn’t get that final out.

With the bases loaded, Madson walked Pearce to force in a run and tie the game 2-2. J.D. Martinez followed that up with a single to right, scoring two more runs. Madson struck out Bogaerts to end the inning, but the Red Sox had clawed back to take a 4-2 lead after initiating a two-out rally.

With Madson not being able to escape without his inherited runners scoring, Ryu was charged with four earned runs in 4.2 innings while also allowing six hits and a walk.

Julio Urias was brought in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and sat the Red Sox down with an easy one-two-three inning.

David Price was replaced with Joe Kelly in the top of the seventh. In all, Price allowed two earned runs, three hits, and three walks in six innings.

Kelly pitched a flawless seventh inning, retiring the Dodgers in order and keeping the Red Sox in the lead at 4-2.

Kenta Maeda took the hill for the Dodgers to start the bottom of the seventh. He proceeded to give up a double to Betts with one out in the inning. Maeda responded by striking out Benintendi but was pulled by Roberts after Cora decided to pinch-hit Mitch Moreland for Pearce.

Lefty Scott Alexander was inserted to face the left-handed Moreland and struck him out to keep the Red Sox from adding to their lead. Maeda was credited with pitching 0.2 innings and giving up just one hit.

Nathan Eovaldi took the mound for the Red Sox to begin the eighth and pitched a perfect inning to keep the score the same.

Pedro Baez pitched the bottom of the eighth and retired three consecutive batters to send the game into the ninth.

Craig Kimbrel entered the game in the top of the ninth and got the save for the Red Sox by throwing a perfect final inning to end game two.

The Dodgers went hitless in their final 16 AB, and the only hits they managed all evening came in the fourth inning, the same frame which they scored their two runs.

2 thoughts on “Red Sox Overcome Dodgers in World Series Game 2”

Dodgers counted out again for the umtreenth time this year. If Buehler can hold the fort down for 6-7 innings we win game 3 and Inthink we sweep all 3 in LA. Then we need only 1 more in Boston w thenpressure all on them!

I like your optimism Rich. I think we can definitely win game 3 behind Buehler, but I don’t think we can take all 3 games here. If we can’t, it’s going to be very hard to win both games back in Boston. Therefore…………………..I hope you’re right and I’m wrong.